Dispensing container



May 25, 1965 Filed Oct. 17, 1961 H. MARGULIES DISPENSING CONTAINER 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Fig.

, INVENTOR.

HERMAN MARGULIES ATTORNEY y 1965 H. MARGULIES 3,185,373

DISPENSING CONTAINER Filed Oct. 1'7, 1961 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HERMAN MARGULIES ATTORNEY H. MARGULIES DISPENS ING CONTAINER May 25, 1965- Filed 001;. 17. 1961 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 .8 RE mu NU W6 R A M m R E H Mam ATTORNEY 3,185,373 DISPENSING CONTAINER Herman Marguiies, Short Hills, N.J., assignor of twenty This invention relates to a container, and more particularly, to a novel container made from a one piece blank in a manner so that the articles adapted to be disposed therein are successively moved to a dispensing position in response to removal of the topmost article. The container of t'hepresent invention is made from .a one piece blank of relatively stiif paper. Integralportions of the blank are folded in the manner of an accordion so as to provide a spring biasing eifect against the articles adapted to be disposed therein. In this manner, removal of the topmost article automatically results in the spring means biasing the next article to the position formerly occupied by the article removed. "In this manner, the article to be removed is always adjacent the opening Cir line 16 disposed therebetween. The bottom panel 12 is through which it will be dispensed. Thus, the necessity are more desirable and easier to use than containers proposed heretofore.

The articles adapted to be disposed within the container of the present invention may be in the forn'r of packets of powder or flake material such as tea, sugar, salt, coffee, etc. In addition, the articles may assume almost any shape including round or square objects. However, the container of the present invention functions more efiiciently when the article adapted to be disposed therein is in the nature of a small envelope or packet or a flat object in the nature of a cube of sugar.

\ Itfis an object of the present invention to provide a novel one piece container.

It-is another object of the present invention to provide a novel container made from a one piece blank. It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel container wherein spring means are provided for biasing the articlesdisposed therein toward a dispensing opening. p

It is another object of the present invention to provide a novel container made from a one piece blank of paper or the like wherein means are provided for biasing the articles disposed therein toward a dispensing opening.

It is still another object of the present invention to provide a novel one piece blank from which a container may be made.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

For the purpose of illustrating the invention there is shown in the drawings a form which is presently preferred; it being understood, however, that this invention is not limited to the precise arrangements and instrumentalities shown.

FIGURE 1 is a top plan view of a one piece blank from which a container of the present invention may be made.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of a partially assembled container.

FIGURE 3 is a perspective view of a partially assembled container.

3,185,373 Patented May 25, 1965 ice FIGURE 4 is a perspective View of an assembled container.

FEGURE 5 is a perspective view of an assembled con tainer similar to FIGURE 4, but showing the container rotated 90 degrees from the illustration shown in FIG- URE 4. a

FIGURE 6 is a transverse sectional view taken along the lines 6-6 in FIGURE 5.

FIGURE 7 is a perspective view of a container, similar to FIGURE 6, with one flap being raised so as to expose the articles packaged therein.

Referring to the drawing in detail, wherein like numerals indicate like elements, there is shown in FIGURE 1 a blank designated generally as 10.

The one piece blank 10 includes a bottom panel 12 integrally connected with a front panel 14 having a fold provided with a tab 18 extending along the length thereof with a fold line disposed therebetween. The bottom panel 12 is'also provided with end tabs 20 and 22 with a fold line disposed between each end tab and the bottom panel 12. The face of the tab 18 illustrated in FIGURE 1 may be provided with an adhesive coating.

The edge of the front panel 14 opposite to the edge connected to the bottom panel 12 is integrally connected to a top panel 24. A fold line 26 separates the panels 14 and 24. The top panel 24 is provided with end tabs 28 and 32. A fold line is disposed between the end tabs and the panel 24. The side edge of the panel 24 is integrally connected to a tab 3i) with a fold line being disposed therebetween. The face of the tab 30 illustrated in FIGURE 1 may be provided with an adhesive coating.

A pair of flaps 34 and 36 are provided in the shape of an arrowhead as illustrated in FIGURE 1. The periphcry of the flaps 34 and 36 is defined by a perforated line. One end of the flap 34 is integrally connected with the top panel 24 and separated therefrom by means of fold line 38. One end of flap 36 is integrally connected with the panel 24 and separated therefrom by fold line 40. It will be noted that the flaps 34 and are formed from a portion of the panels 14 and 24 with the fold line 26 extending thereacross.

The front panel 14 is provided with a left side wall panel 42 integrally connected therewith along one edge with a fold line being disposed therebetween. The opposite edge of the panel 42 is integrally connected with a back wall portion 44 with a fold line being disposed there between. The opposite edge of the back wall portion 44 is integrally connected with a separator wall panel 46 with a fold line being provided therebetween. The panel 46 is provided with a tab 48 with a fold line being provided therebetween.

A panel 50 is integrally connected with a side edge of the back wall portion 44 with a fold line being provided therebetween. A panel 52 is integrally connected with the panel 50 with a fold line being provided therebetween. A panel 54 is integrally connected with the panel 52 with a fold line being provided therebetween. A panel 56 is integrally connected with the panel 54 with a fold line being provided therebetween. The panels 50-56 are in alignment and hereinafter may be referred to as a spring means.

A right side wall panel 58 is integrally connected with the front wall panel 14 wth a fold line between said panels 58 and 14. A back wall portion 60 of substantially the same size as the back wall portion 44 is integrally connected with the panel 58 with a fold line being provided therebetween. The portion 60 is provided with a tab 62 with a fold line being provided therebetween.

A panel 64 is integrally connected with the back wall portion 60 with a fold line being provided therebetween. A panel 66 is integrally connected with the panel 64 with a fold line being provided therebetween. A panel 68 is integrally connected with the panel 66 with a fold line being provided therebetwen. A panel 70 is integrally connected with the panel 68 with a fold line being provided therebetween. The panels 64-76 are in line with one another and hereinafter may be referred to as a spring means.

The container of the present invention is assembled from the blank 19 as follows:

The bottom panel 12 is folded along fold line 16 so as to be upright with respect to the front panel 14 as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Then the panels 50-56 are manipulated and bent along the fold lines therebetween so that the panels assume the accordion shape as illustrated in FIGURE 2. Thereafter, the panels 42-48 are manipulated and bent along the fold lines therebetween so that panel 42 is upright with respect to the front wall panel 14. The end tab 22 is manipulated to the position illustrated in FIGURE 2 so as to be inside of the side wall panel 42. The back wall portion 44 is manipulated so as to be substantially parallel to the front wall portion 14 with the separator wall 46 being substantially perpendicular to the front wall panel 14 and parallel to the side wall panel 42.

As shown more clearly in FIGURE 3, the face of the tab 48 juxtaposed to the front wall panel 14 is adhesively secured thereto. The panels 647tl are then folded in the same manner as panels 58-56. Thereafter, the panels 58 and 60 are moved so as to assume the position shown in FIGURE 3 with an adhesive coating on the tab 62 being secured to the face of the separator wall panel 46 juxtaposed thereto.

At this point, it will be noted that two discrete compartments are provided with a spring means being disposed within each compartment. The tab 18 is then folded and adhesively secured across the juxtaposed face of the back wall portions 44 and 6t). Thereafter, the end tabs 28 and are folded as shown in FIGURE 3.

At this point, the container is filled with articles 72. The lowermost article in one compartment is in abutting contact with a major face of the panel 56 and the lowermost article in the adjacent compartment is in abutting contact with a major face of the panel 70. Thereafter, the top panel 24 is manipulated along fold line 26 so as to be parallel to the bottom panel 12 with the end tabs 28 and 32 being inside the end wall panels 42 and 58. Then the tab 30 is adhesively secured across the juxtaposed face of the back wall portions 44 and 6t Thereafter, the entire container may be wrapped in a transparent cellophane wrapper with a tear string being provided to facilitate removal of the same.

In use, the container of the present invention will be in the position illustrated in FIGURES 5 and 7. When it is desired to remove one of the articles 72, one of the flaps is separated from its connection with the front wall panel 14 and a portion of the top wall panel 24. Thus, by applying pressure with ones finger the perforated line around the flap 34 may be broken whereby the flap 34 may be pivoted about the fold line 38 to the position illustrated in FIGURE 7. The arrowhead aperture facilitates the removal of one article 72 at a time. As the uppermost article 72 is removed through the arrowhead aperture, the spring means for the one compartment expands thereby raising the next article to a position wherein it may be readily removed.

The same process for dispensing the articles continues until the panel 56 is visible thereby indicating the compartment is empty. Thereafter, the second compartment may be emptied in the same manner. It will be appreciated that the flap 34 or 36 is replaced so as to be loosely held within the arrowhead dispensing aperture when an article 72 is not being removed from the container.

It will be noted that the container presents clean lines with only flaps 18 and 30 being exposed on the outer surface of the container, The entire container is maintained 4. in assembled relationship by an adhesive coating on the tabs 18, 3t), 48 and 62.

Thus, it will be seen that the present invention includes a novel one piece blank and a container made therefrom. The container may be a compartmented container as illustrated or may have only a single compartment if desired merely by elongating the back wall portion 44 so as to have a length corresponding to the length of the panel 14 with the spring means integral therewith extending for the full length thereof. If a single compartment is provided, elements 7t9 may be eliminated with a tab being provided on the end wall panel 58.

In addition to the provision of spring means for maintaining the uppermost article adjacent the dispensing aperture, it will be noted that the novel arrowhead shaped dispensing aperture facilitates the dispensing of only one article at a time when said article assumes a flat shape such as a cube of sugar, tea bag, etc. While the spring means have been illustrated as being integral with the back wall portions 44 and 60, it will be appreciated that such spring means may be provided integral with the side wall panels or the separator wall panel 46 if desired.

The present invention may be embodied in other specific forms without departing from the spirit or essential attributes thereof and, accordingly, reference should be made to the appended claims, rather than to the foregoing specification as indicating the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A container comprising a bottom wall, a top wall, a front wall, side walls, and a back wall, said walls being formed from a one-piece blank with fold lines being provided intermediate adjacent Walls, a flap having one end integral with said top wall, the remainder of said flap being integrally connected to said top wall and said front wall by means of a perforation line, a fold line between said one end of said flap and said top wall whereby said flap may be pivoted to a disposition so as to expose a dispensing aperture formed in said front wall, a spring means disposed between said bottom and top walls whereby articles adapted to be disposed therebetween will be biased toward said top wall to be dispensed through said aperture, a partition wall extending between said front and back walls, said partition wall cooperating with said walls so as to define two chambers, and a spring means in each chamber.

2. A container in accordance with claim 1 wherein said spring means comprising an odd number of similarly shaped panels joined by fold lines, the lowermost of said spring means panels being integrally connected with said bottom wall,said spring means panels being folded in zigzag fashion to form a spring-like accordion, and a pusher tab joined by a fold line to the uppermost of said spring means panels, said pusher tab being smaller than said spring means panels whereby it will have its edge opposite from the fold line between the pusher tab and the uppermost spring means panel centrally of the front and back walls so as to evenly bias flat articles lying parallel to the bottom wall within the container against the top wall of the container.

3. A container comprising a top wall, a bottom wall, a front wall, side walls, said walls being made from a one piece blank with fold lines being provided between adjacent walls, a back wall portion integrally connected to each side Wall, each back wall portion having a length corresponding to one-half the length of the front wall, a plurality of interconnected panels, one of said last mentioned panels being integrally connected with each one of said back wall portions, said last mentioned panels being folded in zig-zag disposition for biasing articles toward said top wall, and means for providing access to the articles adapted to be biased toward said top wall by said last mentioned panels.

4. A container in accordance with claim 3 wherein said last mentioned means includes a pair of flaps, each flap 5 having one end integrally secured to said top wall, and said top and front wall having an aperture corresponding with the size and shape of each flap.

5. A container in accordance with claim 4 including a partition wall, one edge of said partition wall being integrally secured to an edge of one of said back wall portions, said partition wall extending from said front wall to an edge of said other back wall portion.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Gluckrnan 229-27 Raynaud 229-27 Feigelman 229-27 Russell 229-27 Medotf 206-56 Weiss 206-57 Spurr 206-57 Leupold 206-57 Guyer 206-57 Marcalus 206-57 THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

EARLE I. DRUMMOND, Examiner. 

1. A CONTAINER COMPRISING A BOTTOM WALL, A TOP WALL, A FRONT WALL, SIDE WALLS, AND A BACK WALL, SAID WALLS BEING FORMED FROM A ONE-PIECE BLANK WITH FOLD LINES BEING PROVIDED INTERMEDIATE ADJACENT WALLS, A FLAP HAVING ONE END INTEGRAL WITH SAID TOP WALL, THE REMAINDER OF SAID FLAP BEING INTEGRALLY CONNECTED TO SAID TOP WALL AND SAID FRONT WALL BY MEANS OF A PERFORATION LINE, A FOLD LINE BETWEEN SAID ONE END OF SAID FLAP AND SAID TOP WALL WHEREBY SAID FLAP MAY BE PIVOTED TO A DISPOSITION SO AS TO EXPOSE A DISPENSING APERTURE FORMED IN SAID FRONT WALL, A SPRING MEANS DISPOSED BETWEEN SAID BOTTOM AND TOP WALLS WHEREBY ARTICLES ADAPTED TO BE DISPOSED THEREBETWEEN WILL BE BIASED TOWARD SAID TOP WALL TO BE DISPENSED THROUGH SAID APERTURE, A PARTITION WALL EXTENDING BETWEEN SAID FRONT AND BACK WALLS, SAID PARTITION WALL COOPERATING WITH SAID WALLS SO AS TO DEFINE TWO CHAMBERS, AND A SPRING MEANS IN EACH CHAMBER. 